The Jawny’s, the Los Angeles food concept founded by best friends Johnny and David, has officially opened the doors to its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Sherman Oaks, marking the latest chapter in a remarkable journey that began with a dream, a car wash and a willingness to keep going when everything seemed to be working against them.
Today, Jawny’s welcomes guests at 14062 Burbank Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, bringing the brand’s signature cheesesteaks, wings, fries and other comfort-food favorites to a permanent home in Los Angeles. The restaurant’s current menu features Philly cheesesteaks, chicken cheesesteaks, wings, steak fries, chicken fries, bowls and specialty drinks.
But Jawny’s story began far from the polished restaurant it is today.
Johnny and David first connected during a 1 a.m. Xbox chat while living in different cities — Johnny in Cincinnati and David in California. What started as a conversation between two friends eventually became a shared vision: build a Philly cheesesteak stand and turn it into something bigger.
In 2023, Johnny moved to California, and the pair began building Jawny’s from the ground up. Their earliest operation was a food stand inside a car wash, followed by appearances at food events and pop-ups as they worked to introduce their food to the Los Angeles community.
The road to a permanent restaurant was anything but easy. Along the way, the young business faced countless hurdles — including one particularly devastating setback when their cooking equipment was stolen.
Instead of giving up, Johnny and David rebuilt and continued moving forward.
That determination became central to the identity of Jawny’s.
“We started with a dream and just kept showing up, even when things didn’t go our way,” says the Jawny’s team. “What we have today is the result of believing in the food, believing in each other and believing that if we kept pushing, people would eventually see what we were building.”
The turning point came when Mike recognized the potential of the concept and joined Johnny and David as an investor. His experience building and scaling successful businesses, combined with his technology background, helped give the team the resources and expertise needed to take Jawny’s from a pop-up operation to its first permanent location.
The restaurant’s opening comes as Jawny’s has developed a substantial following online, with more than 150,000 followers on Instagram. The brand’s audience includes recognizable names from entertainment and music, including actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish and singer Teddy Swims, helping propel Jawny’s from a local food operation into a growing Los Angeles brand.
That organic following reflects the same word-of-mouth energy that helped Jawny’s grow during its days at the car wash and at food events: people try the food, share the experience and bring someone else along.
Now, the team is ready for the next chapter.
The new Sherman Oaks restaurant represents more than an expansion. For the founders, it is proof that a business can start with very little and grow through persistence, community and a refusal to quit.
From an idea born during a late-night gaming session, to a food stand inside a car wash, to pop-up events, stolen equipment and countless setbacks, Jawny’s has finally arrived at the destination Johnny and David envisioned from the beginning: a restaurant of their own.
Jawny’s is now open at 14062 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91401.
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